BEIJING, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China’s exports in July rose 19.3% from a year earlier, and imports increased 28.1%, customs data showed on Saturday. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast exports would rise 20.8% from a year earlier, compared with 32.2% growth in June. Imports were expected to have grown 33.0%, in contrast to a 36.7% gain in June. China posted a trade surplus of $56.58 billion in July, compared with the poll’s forecast for a $51.54 billion surplus and $51.53 billion surplus in June. Reporting by Colin Qian and Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Jacqueline Wong Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.